Democratic Humanism and American Literature

abstract actual affirmations Ahab Ahab's American writing becomes Billy Billy Budd called Captain Ahab Captain Vere Cereno Chad civilization conflict conscience contradictions criticism culture D. H. Lawrence death democracy democratic dialectic Dimmesdale double consciousness dramatic effect equality Ethan Brand ethical existence experience expressed F. O. Matthiessen fact faith feel Finn freedom Hawthorne Hawthorne's hero Huck human Ibid ideal imagination innocence intellectual Ishmael James judgment Lawrence Lawrence's literary literature living Mark Twain meaning Melville Melville's metaphysical mind Mme de Vionnet Moby Dick moral myth Natty Bumppo nature pantheism perhaps person Poe's poetry political principle protagonist Queequeg R. W. B. Lewis reality revolution revolutionary Scarlet Letter seems sense social society soul spirit story stress Strether suggests theme things Thoreau thought tion Tocqueville tradition tragedy tragic transcendental truth unity universe values Walden whale Whitman words